Cellular locomotion plays a critical role in such normal processes as embryonic development, tissue segregation, as well as
the infiltration of fibroblasts and vascular cells during wound repair and the inflammatory responses of the adult immune
system. During tumor invasion and metastasis the processes of cell migration achieve dire significance. Disruption of normal
homeostatic mechanisms to benefit the survival of the individual tumor cell is a common theme discovered during the characterization
of factors once thought to be tumor-specific. One such molecule, tumor cell autocrine motility factor, was so described and
has only recently been identified as a normal protein involved in intracellular glycolysis as well as implicated as an extracellular
effector of normal cell functions including survival of certain populations of neurons. This molecule represents a member
of the newly emerging family of intracellular enzymes whose disparate functions as extracellular mediators of cellular responses
defines a new class of ecto/exoenzymes which play a role in normal cellular processes and are inappropriately utilized by
tumor cells to elicit new survival strategies.
Key words migration - autocrine motility factor - neuroleukin - phosphohexose isomerase - metastasis